Mission Support Alliance: Focusing on what matters
The Mission Support Contract, led by Mission Support Alliance (MSA), is a first-of-a-kind contract structure created by the Department of Energy Richland Operations Office (DOE). The purpose: focus on cleanup priorities while ensuring the reliability of essential systems such as water, power and transportation, through integrating site services, resulting in reduced taxpayer costs.
With this being my first year as president of MSA, I felt it appropriate to focus on ways in which we, as the site services provider and integrator, have helped cleanup success.
Building on several years of experience, MSA achieved progress last year by focusing on things that matter. Experience in integrating services, small business partnerships, community outreach and cost savings were the areas where we excelled.
Experience matters.
MSA understands the complexity of Hanford. We have a highly qualified and skilled workforce that has provided critical support to multiple cleanup projects across many prime contracts. Our employees consistently and safely complete complex tasks that make cleanup possible.
▪ Partnered on the PUREX tunnel stabilization project by activating the Emergency Operations Center in response to the partial collapse and providing support to DOE and other contractors, including numerous personnel and subject matter experts, to help stabilize the collapsed tunnel. MSA’s critical activities ranged from environmental monitoring and providing critical lift plans to assisting in filling in the collapsed area and installing a protective covering.
▪ Provided specialized services for PFP demolition efforts such as identifying and implementing new methods for supplying water, developing safety/security related explosive demolition plans, testing air-purifying respirators, preforming air monitoring and installing cameras to capture the progress.
▪ Supported Tank Farm milestones such as the water service building startup for sustained operations, the design and deployment of an advanced employee notification system, and increased servicing of self-contained breathing apparatus by 33 percent to ensure worker safety.
Small Business matters.
MSA understands small businesses are essential to both the cleanup mission and the prosperity of our community. We exceeded our overall 2017 subcontracting goals by more than 73 percent, with over $155 million in subcontracts. Our community received 58 percent of our procurements, amounting to over $90 million being spent locally. Of greatest significance, both our HubZone and small disabled-veteran-owned business contract awards significantly exceeded our goals, with total subcontracts to these two categories exceeding $73 million in fiscal year 2017.
Community matters.
MSA manages a robust community program, providing both financial and volunteer support to more than 50 local organizations annually. MSA Cares, our volunteerism program, more than doubled its employee participation in 2017 and our employees were the top fundraisers for several local charities. Connect Tri-Cities showcased the first community-wide alliance dedicated to ensuring an available local workforce in the future by bringing together 34 business partners and nearly 60 vendors.
Cost matters.
MSA understands it’s not just about saving money—it’s knowing how to spend the right amount of money at the right time to ensure continuity of essential services. To date, MSA has realized nearly $500 million in cost savings and avoidance since contract inception, with $108 million realized in 2017 alone. This was done while submitting 275 contract deliverables at a 99.6 percent on-time delivery rate, managing usage-based services to ensure the organizations are right-sized to maximize customer savings and managing our infrastructure reliability program efficiently.
Having lived in the Tri-Cities most of my life and working at Hanford for 24 years, I am proud of MSA’s commitment to both Hanford and our community. It’s clear we have helped develop something that benefits the government, the taxpayer, and community, and we continue to move DOE’s vision forward in advancing the cleanup mission.
This story was originally published April 1, 2018 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Mission Support Alliance: Focusing on what matters."